Vertiefungsseminar Representations of HIV AIDS in American Theatre Mi 12:30-14:00

-We won’t die secret deaths anymore. The world only spins forward. We will be citizens. The time has come. Bye now. You are fabulous creatures, each and every one. And I bless you: More Life. The Great Work Begins.- – Tony Kushner, Angels in America In this class we will be looking at different representations of HIV/AIDS on the American stage. We will discuss three different plays set in the 1980s that each present a different approach to the topic: Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, and Jonathan Larson’s musical RENT. Starting with The Normal Heart, we will consider each play’s story of origin and look at the political as well as the historical backdrop. In doing so, we will look at the beginnings and progression of the AIDS epidemic in America in the 1980s. We will discuss how HIV/AIDS relates to race, class, gender, and sexuality, and how these connections are represented and dealt with in the three plays. In our discussion, we will also consider the themes of love and loss, and the intersection of the personal and the political. Additionally, we will take into account staging and how it can influence the impact of a play. In this context, we will also deal with the concept of -political theatre,- specifically as it relates to Bertolt Brecht’s idea and methods of -epic theatre.- You will have the opportunity to watch both the official recording of the final Broadway performance of RENT (2008, https://youtu.be/jiJ25zj7Dwg>) and the film adaptation of The Normal Heart (2014, https://youtu.be/fZxR9XHS0H8>). The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer (Samuel French ed., ISBN 978-0-573-61993-9) Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes, Tony Kushner (TCG ed., ISBN 978-1559363846) RENT: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Broadway Musical, Jonathan Larson (Applause Books - Please don’t buy this, yet, unless you have a personal interest in owning a copy. I’m looking into ways to get this a little bit cheaper than regular retail price.) Please check back for updates re which editions we will be using and whether/when they will be available at the on-campus bookstore. Technically, you can use any edition, but it’ll make discussions easier if we all have the same. I will update you again on the final selection of texts in the first session! UPDATE, March 12th: We'll be using the Samuel French edition of The Normal Heart! Alternatively, you can also buy the NHB edition. They vary in price, formatting and re how the material is organised. There is also a kindle version of the NHB edition, but you should buy a printed copy. If you need to buy the NHB edition, the kindle version cannot be your only copy of the text! The Normal Heart will be our first text and we'll start with that around session 3 or 4, so make sure you've got your copy. Since we don't have an on-campus bookstore at the moment, please either order your material on amazon or at you local bookstore. Last I checked, at the Mayersche Buchhandlung it takes apprx. 3-4 weeks for an order of The Normal Heart and the Samuel French edition should be around the same price as on amazon. UPDATE, April 4th: We'll be using the Theatre Communications Group edition of Angels in America! It's got a revised version of the second part of the play. So if you've got the NHB edition, the second part of the play may vary. Angels is the second play we'll discuss. There will also be a Semesterapparat with additional material! Bemerkung Students not present on the first day of class will be withdrawn from the list of enrolled students unless they have made prior arrangements with me. If you are enrolled (-zugelassen,- not -angemeldet-) in the class and unable to attend the first session, but would still like to participate in the course, please contact me via e-mail before the first session. Voraussetzungen When you come to class each week, you are expected to have read the text(s) thoroughly. There should be underlined or highlighted passages in your text! There should be annotations! If I have given you questions to consider at home, you are expected to have taken notes on them. You are also expected to participate regularly in discussions. In order to attend this course, students of BK AUA H or BK AUA N must have passed the Basismodul III (Literaturwissenschaft) exam. Anglistik u.Amerikanistik (BA, PO 2013) Kernfach When you come to class each week, you are expected to have read the text(s) thoroughly. There should be underlined or highlighted passages in your text! There should be annotations! If I have given you questions to consider at home, you are expected to have taken notes on them. You are also expected to participate regularly in discussions. In order to attend this course, students of BK AUA H or BK AUA N must have passed the Basismodul III (Literaturwissenschaft) exam. Universität Düsseldorf SoSe 2016 Dullisch Stefanie